


Skulduggery Pleasant: Innocence

by GeckoLady



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Alpha Women, Angst, Art, Bisexual, Books, Competition, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dogs, F/F, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Girls Kissing, Innocence, Lesbian, Long-Term Relationship(s), Love, Multi, Nathan Wagner, Photography, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, derek landy, skulduggery, skulduggery pleasant - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:48:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoLady/pseuds/GeckoLady
Summary: Follow Militsa and Valkyrie as they get to know each other and begin their romantic journey. This fanfic follows the interactions of the books, adds onto them, fills in the gaps between the books, and after Seasons of War, will take on a whole new direction! Written in an attempt to fit besides the novels seamlessly.Song inspiration: Innocence by Nathan Wagner.Please Review!!
Relationships: Desmond Edgley/Melissa Edgley, Valkyrie Cain & Militsa Gnosis, Valkyrie Cain/Militsa Gnosis
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Mon 3rd June**

“You’re worried that my dog will have peed on your seats, aren’t you?”

“The thought had occurred to me.”

“Xena will be asleep, believe me, and she doesn’t pee in cars. You go talk to whoever you have to talk to, I’ll have a walk around and I’ll meet you out front in, what, twenty minutes?”

“Okay, we’ll do that. I’ll text if I need more time,” Skulduggery told her and walked off.

Not wanting to be left standing where he left her, Valkyrie went in the other direction, passing through the nearest door. She found herself in a corridor right as the bell sounded and students swarmed out of doors along both walls, filling out the spaces and jostling Valkyrie as they squeezed by. She sighed with irritation and forced herself to keep her elbows down and not hit anyone. She doubted the Sanctuary would not be happy if she injured any of the students. After another few seconds, the crowd started to thin and she could walk without tripping over anyone.

She strolled slowly, sticking her hands in her pockets. Four kids with green ties stood in a group ahead of her. They started whispering when they noticed Valkyrie. She put her head down and tried ignoring them, keeping her eyes on the floor as she passed them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw them glance her way, and when they were behind her the whispering picked back up again.

Valkyrie turned and faced them. “What?” She snapped. “What is it that’s so fascinating about me? _What_?”

The kids froze. They actually looked scared. One of them snapped out of it and hurried away, the others quickly following. Valkyrie glared at them even though she knew full well what she did wasn’t going to help the rumours she was somehow still evil, right until they had disappeared around the corner. She felt stupid for overreacting so much and scrunched her eyes up in frustration before turning again, just as a young woman dressed in all black strode up to her with an arm outstretched.

“Hello!” The young woman said, and Valkyrie was shaking her hand before she knew what was happening. She didn’t even mean to do that. “It’s very good to meet you! I’ve heard so much about you, naturally, but it’s so good to finally meet you in the flesh!”

She was Scottish, had long red hair in tight curls that fell over her shoulders with a few smaller ones that framed her face, was covered in freckles over all the skin Valkyrie could see, and she had the brightest smile Valkyrie had seen in a long time.

“You’ll have to forgive the student,” the woman said, lowering her voice slightly. “It’s not often they meet someone famous.”

Valkyrie took her hand back. Gently. The woman’s hand was very soft. “I’m not famous.”

“Ah, well, _infamous_ , then.”

Valkyrie took a moment to work out what she meant and realised she wasn’t talking about her, Valkyrie, and then sagged. “Oh, right. Darquesse.”

“They’ve seen all the pictures,” the redhead said, “all the videos. And there are plenty of videos of Darquesse tearing the place up. They don’t mean anything by staring, they really don’t.”

“It’s fine,” Valkyrie replied, though her stomach rolled at the reminder. “Amazingly, I kind of forgot that people would associate me with her, even though we shared a face. Just another thing to feel bad about, I suppose.”

“Mmm,” said the redhead, because she obviously couldn’t think of a way of salvaging the topic of conversation. Valkyrie couldn’t either. Then she brightened. “I’m Militsa Gnosis. I teach Magic Theory.”

“You’re a Necromancer?”

“Guilty as charged,” Militsa grinned, and then suddenly stopped, her whole body sagging. “Which is probably not the best phrase to use when most of your Order plotted to kill billions of people. If it makes any difference, though, I didn’t know anything about the Passage or what the Clerics were planning.”

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. “So you’re a _good_ Necromancer?”

“Yes,” Militsa said, beaming once again. “I was going to store my magic in a ring like you did, but I didn’t what you to think I was copying you, even though I so would have been, so I keep it in this instead.” She pulled back her sleeve, revealing a thick bracelet on a pale, slender wrist with small translucent arm hair and a covering of freckles over the back of her arm and less on the underside of her wrist and on her palm. “It’s pretty cool, I think.”

“Yeah.”

Militsa’s smile faltered. “Oh, no.”

Valkyrie’s eyebrows raised. “What?”

“I’m being lame, aren’t I?”

“Sorry?”

“I’m being so lame right now,” Militsa said, her head tilting down, looking up slightly at Valkyrie. “You think I’m a complete idiot, don’t you?”

“Do I?”

“You must.”

Her raised eyebrows slowly changed to a frown. “I don’t think so.”

“But I’m babbling. I’m just a babbling idiot that ran up to you and started babbling. This is so embarrassing. Why do I have to be so lame?”

Valkyrie had no idea what to do now. The women’s eye almost seemed glassy, like she might cry. “I… I don’t think you’re lame.”

“That’s just because you’re a nice person.”

“I’m not that nice,” she said quickly. “Really, I’m not. I’m quite rude.”

“You’re not rude,” Militsa said, not believing her. She looked at the floor now.

“I am,” Valkyrie insisted, not sure why she was so invested in making her believe that. “Before this conversation is done, I bet I’ll have been rude to you by accident.”

Militsa looked up. Her eyes were huge and dark brown. “You mean it?”

Valkyrie nodded quickly. “I do. And you’re not lame and you’re not an idiot. You’re just being friendly. You’re a friendly Necromancer, which is kind of unique.”

“We’re not known for being friendly, I’d have to agree,” Militsa brightened.

Valkyrie held back a sigh of relief she didn’t realise she was holding. “So you’re a teacher here?”

“Yep. I guide students through their options, as far as choosing a discipline goes. I never meant to be a teacher, to be honest. It’s not something I ever saw myself doing, but it combines two of my favourite things – talking about magic and… and, well, _reading_ about magic, I suppose. I don’t have a very wide range of interests.”

“Maybe you should get out more.”

“That’s what my mum says, but then she’s three hundred years old. I think she has unrealistic expectations when it comes to me. I’m just a normal girl. Give me a good book and a sofa and I’m happy, you know?”

“Can’t beat a book and a sofa,” Valkyrie nodded.

“If I wasn’t a teacher, I’d probably be a researcher, maybe be a part of project Torchlight. Have you heard of it?”

“I haven’t, I’m afraid.”

“Ah, no matter. My point being, I specialise in the Source – which is another reason I’m so pumped to be meeting you.” Militsa hesitated, her eyes sparkling. “Could I see you magic? Could I see what you can do?”

“Uh…”

“Just a little bit, I swear. You’re incredible to me, that’s all. You’re connected to the Source of all magic like nothing else. Your magic is… it’s pure. Unfiltered.”

It had been getting uncomfortable but the compliments made her feel slightly less weird. “I’m not very good at controlling it,” she admitted.

“I’m not surprised,” said Militsa. “I’ve got theories about it, if you’d like to hear them.”

“Uh, maybe, I’m just a little busy right now…”

“Oh, of course,” Militsa said, laughing at herself. “Of course you’re busy, you’re Valkyrie Cain! But if you ever wanted to talk about it, just knock on my door. I will literally drop everything to talk to you. Literally. Everything.” She brushed her hands together. “Dropped.”

“Okay,” Valkyrie said, hoping to appease her. “Well, I might do that.”

“Or if you just want to hang out,” Militsa continued. “You haven’t been to Roarhaven much, have you? Again, I’m not a stalker, I just… I’d have heard if you were in town a lot. I could show you around. There’s actually a pretty good art scene here. Bizarre, I know, but there you go. Might be fun if you’re into that kind of thing. Or we could go for a coffee. Or a drink. Or dinner. Would you like to go to dinner?”

“No thank you.”

“Right, of course, you’re busy, I get it.”

“It’s not that I’m busy,” Valkyrie corrected without thinking. “It’s just that I don’t want to.”

Militsa blinked. “Oh. Well, I mean, okay. That’s cool.”

Valkyrie realised immediately what she did and her face soured. “And now I’m being rude, just like I knew I would.”

“You’re not rude, no.”

“I’m just not looking for a friend right now.”

Militsa blinked like that was the strangest thing a person could say. “Ooh. Okay.” She didn’t sound like she understood.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to offend you, but I’m trying to stay away from people until I get my head straight.”

“Gotcha,” Militsa nodded. “No explanation needed. You’ve been through a lot and the last thing you need is someone to talk to.”

“When you say it like that,” Valkyrie said, unsure whether to backtrack or continue, “it sounds stupid.”

“Not at all. This is totally my fault – I just feel like I know you already. I’ve asked Fletcher so many questions.”

Valkyrie paused and raised an eyebrow. “You know Fletcher?”

Militsa looked surprised. “Well, of course. He’s a teacher here.”

Valkyrie couldn’t help it – she began to grin. “Fletcher? Seriously? What does he teach? What does he know _to_ teach?”

Militsa grinned with her. “Teleportation. He’s only got three students, and only one of them can actually teleport, but he’s pretty good. I think you’d be impressed.”

“That’s hilarious,” said Valkyrie. “Is he all strict and stuff?”

“Very. He has a teacher voice.”

“Oh, wow.” Valkyrie’s phone buzzed with a message from Skulduggery, saying she’d be delayed another ten minutes. As she slipped it back in her pocket, she noticed Militsa glancing at her watch. “You probably have work to do.”

Militsa nodded. “I’m supposed to be teaching a class right now. If this was a mortal school, the kids’d be tearing up the place, but Corrival students tend to be so boringly well behaved that they’d probably be cleaning the windows. The coffee offer will remain open, for as long as you need it to be. Or, you know, dinner. Whatever.”

“Thank you. Really. I appreciate the gesture,” she said so softly she surprised herself.

“No problem,” Militsa said and beamed another smile. “It was so nice to meet you, Valkyrie. I hope we _can_ get to know each other better.”

Valkyrie smiled back, and Militsa turned with a swirl of her cloak and walked off. She wore a cloak. Valkyrie hadn’t known very many people who wore cloaks. Not even Skulduggery wore a cloak. _What an odd girl_ , she thought. She liked her.

Skulduggery met her by the Bentley after she had been on a walk around the building.

“Did you have a look around?” He asked as they got in the car.

“Yeah, it’s nice here. Though some of the street names are sort of gory. Especially for around a school.”

“Yes, they are. They were named directly after the war, so I suspect there was some in the moment choices. How are you feeling about continuing the case today?”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

“I want you to enjoy it.”

“You want me to be thrilled so I come back. You don’t care if I enjoy it.”

He shrugged. “Same thing. You’ve been incredibly reclusive since you got back anyhow. Six months, Valkyrie. You can’t hide forever.”

“I’m aware,” she muttered, scratching Xena’s head when she stuck it between the front seats.

“This will be good for you. You can meet people, get some fresh air, see how happy people are that you’re back. Tipstaff was over the moon. Did you see?”

“He seemed it, yeah,” she admitted with a shrug, not liking the direction of the conversation. “And I am trying, you know. I try every day. I need time, Skulduggery, I can’t just get up and do things like I used to. It’s… different now.”

He nodded. “I understand. Just give me a day and I’ll give you all the time in the world after this. I swear.”

“Yeah, you better,” she sighed.

**.*****.**

**Wed 2nd July**

Four weeks. Four weeks since Skulduggery bribed her into giving him one day, and here she was, four weeks later, working. It was so much, all the time. She saw dead bodies every week. A dead teenager. People glared at her in the streets, and a woman caused mass panic in Meritorious Square when she was chasing a criminal, screaming that Darquesse was back to kill them all.

It was nice to be with Skulduggery so much again, but it was also draining. She needed days off just to lie in bed and feel numb, days to decompress, and days she could actually relax and recharge. It was so obvious he was trying to be understanding and patient, but he was just _too_ understanding. Too in her face, too ready to talk, too ready to try to _fix_ her.

Xena put her head on Valkyrie’s shoulder and licked her nose, catching her long tongue on Valkyrie’s ear. Her phone had rung out three times on Skulduggery already, and she knew she’d have to call him back to stop him turning up at her house, but she truly didn’t have the energy to reach over to her nightstand and do it. Her arms were like lead, her eyelids heavy, her body felt like it was far too hot under her covers and dog but even pushing down the duvet made her heart beat faster.

Scrunching her eyes closed, she ground her teeth. Her phone began vibrating again and Xena grunted, likely as annoyed with the sound as she was. All she had to do was reach over and take it. To tell him she was fine and to leave her be. But taking that step was too much. She was a runaway coward that wasn’t strong enough to deal with her problems. She was weak. She was too weak to talk to her best friend, to ask for help, to even know what help she needed from him.

The sound stopped. In its place was total silence. Her breath caught as her dream, her nightmare, invaded her thoughts again. Not being strong enough to fight off Darquesse’s power. Her reflection stealing her family and trying to take her place from Skulduggery’s side. She watched herself kill Alice and not be able to resurrect her. Of being in that building, her small body on the table, debris and dust in the air. She had screamed on the day it happened and she’d screamed in her dream and she screamed in her head now for the replay to stop, for the warlocks to stop their approach and Darquesse to stop circling around her and Alice’s body. In her dream, she’d cradled her, holding onto her body. But when she tried to hold her tighter, she slipped through her arms, no matter how hard she tried to keep her grip. She’d fallen, her small form turning to liquid, disappearing through her fingers.

Xena’s short bark reminded her to breathe, and her body took in a gasp. She forced herself to count, taking short breathes in time to running her hand over Xena’s side, fighting off the light-headedness. Alice wasn’t dead. Her parents weren’t dead. Skulduggery didn’t hate her. She wasn’t Darquesse and Darquesse wasn’t back to wreak havoc.

Growling to herself, she yanked back the covers and made herself stand. Xena jumped to her feet on the bed and looked at her, alert and ready. They looked at each other and Valkyrie wasn’t sure what to do. She’d surprised her body into getting up, but after that…

She went to the bathroom, Xena following her in, sitting next to her when she sat on the loo. She really didn’t want to go outside into the light drizzling rain but couldn’t stand to be inside, so got on her clothes and went downstairs. On the back doorstep, she stood, trying to make her body take another step. Xena breezed by her, thrilled with the rain after years in Colorado on her old ranch house in the desert. The chill in the air seeped into her bones so fast she had to wrap her arms around herself and step back. Skulduggery would find her if she fell to the floor and that was the only thought that kept her upright. Xena would be fine outside alone. She left the backdoor open and opened the fridge, finding only a few yoghurt pots, dregs of milk in a carton, a single egg and some of Xena’s treats. A quick glance in the freezer showed an empty packet of chips, one last lasagne ready meal, and an old frozen eye mask for her persistent headaches. She left the empty packet in there, feeling exhausted just thinking about throwing it away, and took a yoghurt pot from the fridge.

Xena appeared before she closed it all the way and barked at her excitedly.

“What? This is mine. You have a whole bowl,” Valkyrie insisted.

Xena barked twice and almost bounced on one front paw.

“No, you can’t have an egg. That’s my egg.” Valkyrie closed the fridge.

Xena’s face dropped and her paw slowly fell to the mud covered floor. She huffed.

“No. Don’t argue, you have your own food. See?” She said, pointing at Xena’s bowl.

She didn’t even look at the bowl, staring only at Valkyrie in obvious upset.

Valkyrie knew full well she shouldn’t give in, but the stray thought that Xena would hate her, would leave her, if she didn’t give in penetrated her head before she could walk away. Sighing, she opened the fridge, took the egg, cracked it on the counter and dropped the whole thing in Xena’s bowl, who jumped over to eat it.

“Yeah. There you go. Happy now?”

Xena didn’t stop lapping up yolk.

“Sure. Enjoy it. I’ve got yoghurt anyway so… don’t worry about it. We have a few more days before we need more food. Or I do anyway. You have so much food. I have, like three days of food.” She checked the cupboard she kept tins in and found a tin of macaroni cheese. “Ooh, look Xena. Mac and cheese. Four days of food. I’ll probably have a chance to go to a corner shop before we run out. Lucky me,” she smiled, scratching Xena’s lower back. The idea that she had food and would have a chance to happen upon a shop without needing to go out just for it helped her feel significantly better, so much so she went to the living room to lie down and watch pointless television instead of going back to bed.


	2. Tue 12th July

**Chapter 2**

**Tue 12 th July**

A big, bushy in the corner of the room, large leaves spilling out, taking out a two-meter diameter. A six seater table had a red runner, candles and a vase of flowers in the middle, the fake fireplace had logs in it and the mantel was full of decorations. Two comfy looking sofas, a thick rug on laminate flooring, a small and neat kitchen.

“The assailant came through the window,” Valkyrie said, keeping her hands in her hoodie pocket so hide her sweaty fists. “Smashed their way through, probably woke Reinhardt and Finch, who came into the living area to check the noise. There was a fight, seemingly one versus two, and the assailant won.”

“How did they fight?” Skulduggery asked. “I know, I just want to test you.”

She rolled her eyes in hopes of covering for how pale she felt she was. “The place is a mess, so I’m going to go with the killer being an Elemental. The victims couldn’t use fire or air to do this. Fuck, Finch knew _languages_ and Reinhardt deciphered hieroglyphics, it doesn’t look like either of them fought back at all. It looks like the killer fought off Reinhardt, killed her, and overpowered Finch even easier than Reinhardt. Makes sense with the burn marks on that wall. If the killer had come in from the window, they could have thrown Reinhardt into the desk, used the air to push Finch back, fought off Reinhardt throwing books at him, and then quickly finished them both. The end.”

“What does it look like the killer wanted?”

“Looks to me like something personal rather than a robbery gone wrong. Sure, the place is probably worth some money, but they don’t seem to be loaded or anything. Nothing seems out of place except the books.”

“That’s my observation too. We need to look into their backgrounds and go from there,” he nodded.

“Yeah. I know. I do know how to do my job, you aren’t my teacher anymore.”

“I’m just making sure you’re concentrating,” he said lightly, going towards the bedroom. “Do you notice what I have?”

“The bedroom door is still closed.”

“And we need to check it,” he confirmed. “Ready?”

She nodded and he opened the bedroom door slowly, revealing a bloody mess on the bed. It took a moment for Valkyrie to realise what she was looking at, and then another for her stomach to catch up to how disturbing the scene was.

A small dog had been sliced open from anus to throat, entrails pulled out and spread over the bed. The fluffy carcass was on the left pillow and the intestines had been moved to spell out “bitch” on the sheets.

“Oh God,” she whispered, then ran.

Valkyrie rushed through the apartment, almost barging into Cleavers as they came up to the door, pushing past and taking the stairs down three at a time. She stumbled on the last steps, stomach heaving, and went down the corridor to the back, pushing out the fire exit door. The street it led to was quiet, with no eyes on her when she put a hand on the brick exterior of the building. She slid to her knees.

She didn’t have time to panic. She didn’t have time to have anxiety or go crazy in the street. But those entrails spread out on the bed… she could imagine the crime taking place. Taking the dog, forcing it still, cutting it as it screamed, the feel of its guts on her hands. The thoughts assaulted her. Spots filled her vision and she struggled to breathe.

Valkyrie looked suddenly at her hands like they had committed the crime, imagining how it would feel, how hot and slimy the dogs’ insides would have been, how much force her arms would of had to use to rip them out. She hadn’t done it, it wasn’t her fault, but the idea that she, as a person, was capable of choosing to do something like that was so horrifying she couldn’t stop thinking it. Blood roared in her ears as her body fell numb. Her feet and her legs fell victim first, and then her torso sagged and she leaned a shoulder on the wall. Her face slackened. She’d stood on Xena’s tail when she was young. She had felt awful when her puppy yelped in pain. That moment of sound, that moment of pain, would have been nothing on that poor dog upstairs. It would have been _screaming_.

She wrapped her arms around herself, cold seeping into her bones. She hummed a low sound, grinding her teeth as hard as her numb body would let her, digging what little nail she had into her palms to try and turn off the spiralling.

“Valkyrie?” She heard in the distance. A woman’s voice. Panic started to set into her, making her lightheaded. She couldn’t push it down. Cold sweat bloomed over her skin. She didn’t want someone to see her like this. She didn’t want someone to think she was as weak as she felt. “Oh my God, Valkyrie, are you okay?”

Footsteps quickly approached. Valkyrie closed her eyes against the humiliation.

Something was thrown down next to her, hands gripped her arm. “Valkyrie are you okay? What happened? Are you injured? Should I call someone? Oh my God, I don’t know what to do. Are you breathing? Are you dead? Of course not, you’re sitting up, oh my God I’m going to panic, please open your eyes!”

Valkyrie opened them slowly, letting out a deliberately deep breath. Militsa was on her knees in front of her in black, her cloak spilling around her feet. Her face was fearful, eyes massive with unshed tears.

“It’s okay,” Valkyrie said, putting on a small smile. “I’m okay. Just, you know, low blood sugar. I fell over.”

“You need to eat then!” She gasped, diving for her bags she’d thrown over the path. She looked through one, then another, and sighed in irritation. “I don’t have anything with me. Come on, there’s a café down the street. Can you walk that far?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she shook her head, forcing herself to stand. Her vision went black for a moment and she steadied herself with a hand on the wall. Her eyesight slowly came back, and she saw Militsa had got her two large bags onto her shoulders and was frowning determinedly.

“Not a chance,” Militsa said. “You just got dizzy when you stood, aye? You need something to eat and to sit down properly.”

“I can’t. I’m on a case in the building, I just came out for air. I have to go back in.”

Militsa nailed her with a disapproving teacher look. “Not a chance Valkyrie. You can’t work if you’re almost passing out every time you turn too fast. Come on, the shop’s only a street over and you can sit for ten minutes and leave. I’ll be worried about you all day otherwise. And anyway, you owe me for helping you out last month.” She grinned brightly. “I’ll consider it a favour.”

Valkyrie watched her for a moment before sighing. “Sure. I could use a coffee. Lead the way.”

Militsa’s smile was as stunningly bright as it was triumphant. They fell into step, Militsa almost bouncing with happiness. “It’s a nice café. They do good hot chocolate, I like it a lot. I live around here so I visit a lot when it’s cold. It’s probably my favourite café. Do you have a favourite café?”

“Not really.”

“I suppose you’re always on the move,” Militsa nodded. “You wouldn’t have a chance to visit the same place every time, would you. Do you have a favourite drink?”

“I like coffee,” she nodded. “And tea. Hot chocolate’s fine but I don’t have it much. I don’t think I have a favourite.”

Militsa nodded again. “I like tea too. Milk and two sugars. Like my Da. Oh God I feel like I’m rambling again. Have you seen Omen recently?”

“Omen? No, not really. Not since the last time, which you know about. Don’t worry, I haven’t been getting him into trouble,” she said drily. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw red splotches, reminding her of the blood. Grumbling to herself, she reached over and grabbed Militsa’s bags.

“Hey! Valkyrie, you shouldn’t carry those, you need to eat!”

Valkyrie slung the bags over her left shoulder. “I can carry your bags. You looked like you were struggling.”

Militsa went red, her pale skin flushing quickly. “Well, yeah, I have a lot of marking to do. They were really heavy… you’re just holding them like it’s nothing.”

“It’s just paper, Mil,” she said. “Is that the place?”

Militsa looked back down the street, clearing her throat. “Yeah, it is. Esmerelda’s Finest Bakery.”

“Sounds fancy.”

Militsa shrugged. “Not really. It’s good food and it’s not expensive. Only two seventy-five for a hot drink. There’s some other place a street away I’ve been to as well, but they’re three-fifty for a crappy tea. So I come here instead. Come, let’s get a seat.”

Esmerelda’s was warm and smelt of fresh bread and meats. It was a narrow building with a counter to the immediate left and stairs on the right, a bell above the door that jingled when Militsa opened and held it for her. There was a man slicing bread with his back to them when they walked it, the bell jingling again loudly when the door closed behind their backs. “Welcome!” He said, continuing on his slicing machine.

“Hi Seamus!” Militsa grinned. “How are you?”

“Militsa! Good to have you! I’m grand, love, how are you?”

“I’m well thanks!”

“What can I get you? Chocolate, extra cream and chocolate powder?” He asked.

“Please, that sounds so good,” she said. She looked at Val. “What do you want?”

“Hmm?” Seamus turned to see who she was talking to and dropped the bread he’d been slicing, eyes wide with fear.

Valkyrie looked away.

“Seamus, this is my friend, Valkyrie. Valkyrie, Seamus. What do you want to drink Val?”

“Just a tea is fine,” she softly said.

Militsa nodded. “She’ll have a tea. A tea and a hot chocolate. And you need to eat.”

Valkyrie looked over the cakes, her rumbling stomach giving her away instantly. Militsa cracked a laugh. “I’ll have a pork pie. Is that all, Mum?”

Militsa rolled her eyes. “I’ll have the same. Okay, Seamus?”

He recovered finally and nodded, though he avoided looking at either of them. “Yeah. Okay. You know where the seats are.”

Militsa nodded and gave Valkyrie a smile. She led her through another door to the back where there was soft lighting, there were a few customers sitting with drinks and food, and books lined the walls. Everyone went quiet when Valkyrie walked in but Militsa didn’t seem to notice, much less care. They sat at a table together in the corner, books surrounding them. Valkyrie put Militsa’s bags on the ground beside them and low whispering began again.

“So,” Militsa started, clasping her hands on the table and leaning forward with childlike enthusiasm. “How are you?”

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. “Fine. I’m fine. Everything is… I’m fine, yeah,” she nodded. “You?”

She raised an eyebrow back. “You don’t seem fine.”

Valkyrie dropped her gaze and shrugged. “Yeah well. Like I said, it takes time for me to loosen up, you know?”

“I thought you loosened up when we visited the museum?”

“That was last month.”

“Yeah, but you were loosened.”

She hesitated. “Yeah. Of course. I’m being stupid. It’s just been a long time, you know? It’s new again.”

She nodded in understanding. “I get you. It’s been a while. I just have to loosen you up again! How about you tell me about that case you’re on? As long as you’re allowed and don’t have to kill me for it!”

Valkyrie scanned the books. “You probably don’t want to know. It’s a bad one.”

“Like, a murder scene?” She asked.

“Yeah. Two women. Kayla Reinhardt and Barbara Finch.”

“Oh my God,” Militsa breathed, going incredibly pale. Valkyrie’s eyes grew wide. “Kayla and Barbara are dead?”

Valkyrie wet her lips and folded her arms on the table. “I’m so sorry Militsa. You shouldn’t have found out like this, I shouldn’t have said anything to you.”

“No,” she said quickly. “No, I wanted to know. I just… they were so sweet. The kindest people, you know? What… why did it happen to them? They were so kind.”

“Yeah,” Valkyrie agreed lowly. “It usually goes that way. We’re looking for the killer now.”

Militsa nodded as a machine whirled in the front of the shop. “What about Callie?”

She obviously meant the dog, bringing the entire scene slamming back into her vision. Her eyes wanted to cry but she growled and sat up, crossing her arms tightly to hide the shaking. “Dead too. It was messy.”

“Messy…?”

“You don’t want to know.”

She thought about it a moment and then shook her head. “I appreciate the concern, but I actually want to know. If I don’t, I’ll wonder every time I think of them. I want to know what happened.”

Valkyrie considered the concern in her eyes before sighing and turning away. “An assailant, we think one, came through the window and killed Reinhardt and Finch. Their bodies were in the living room. The dog was in the bedroom. He’d been slaughtered,” she said, lip curling in disgust, “his insides pulled out. They wrote a message. We think it was a personal attack against them. You don’t happen to know if they have any enemies?”

“Any – oh my God,” she breathed, looking at Valkyrie in horror.

“Yeah. It’s why I was outside,” she said, feeling the need to tell her the whole truth now. “I saw what happened to the dog and I had to leave. It’s still in my mind. I can understand with people. It’s cynical and cold, but I understand hate and anger and passion and all that. I get how someone can lash out or plan to kill someone. I get that. But harming an innocent animal? A creature that has nothing to do with whatever personal thing that’s going on? It’s disgusting.”

“Yeah,” said Militsa softly.

“Here you are ladies,” Seamus said, breaking the moment as he set down a tray with two large pork pies and two drinks. Napkins and silverware were on each plate. He seemed to have recovered from his shock but still barely glanced at Valkyrie. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No thank you,” Militsa replied, giving him a smile.

“Not for me, thanks.”

He nodded and left.

Militsa sorted the plates, putting Valkyrie’s tea and the slightly larger pie in front of her with a command to eat, and taking the other pie and drink for herself. “It sounds like it was shocking to see. And you have a lot of work to do. So you need to eat or you really will get low blood sugar.”

Valkyrie gave her a half smile, holding it for barely a moment before it faded. “Yeah, I know. Thanks. How have you been? How’s school? Omen and Never?”

She nodded as she sliced her pie open. “Good, normal. Tests are coming up so a lot of students are stressed. I have a ton of marking from testing the younger years, a bunch of students I need to catch up with that have been avoiding their guidance meetings. Same as always for the end of the year.”

Valkyrie nodded, working through a mouthful of pie, which was as delicious as Militsa had promised. “And Omen and Never?”

“They’ve been the same as far as I know. I can’t say much about students, of course, but they’re well,” she told her. “I think Omen’s a little enamoured by you.”

“Ah. That happens sometimes.”

Militsa laughed. “Sometimes? It’s all any of the kids talk about at the moment, you coming back to Roarhaven and working with Skulduggery.”

Valkyrie half shrugged. “I doubt they say anything positive.”

“Nonsense. Sure, some of the kids are reminded or Darquesse, but I actually think this is helping them. They get to hear and see you being you, rather than seeing you and thinking of someone else.”

“Maybe.”

“It is. A lot of people are happy for you. I know I am.”

Valkyrie shot her the smile she knew she’d been fishing for. “Thanks. You’re sweet.”

She grinned back. “I know.” They ate for a few minutes in silence, the chatter of the room filling in for them. “I’m thinking,” Militsa said more soberly after a while, “that I might have an idea for who could have hurt Kayla and Barbara.”

“What?”

“Barbara’s ex-husband. I only met them after she got with Kayla, but I’ve heard from other friends about this guy. His name’s Jameson or Jack or something. I don’t know exactly. He was hurting Barbara. It’s been over ten years but Kayla just proposed to her, so maybe it triggered him attacking them.”

Valkyrie nodded, pulling out her phone. “I agree. Thank you for telling me that.”

She smiled. “I just want to help my friends you know?”

“I do. Look, I’m going to have to tell Skulduggery.”

“I get it. Go. Go catch a killer,” she said, trying to laugh.

Valkyrie stuffed the last of the crust into her mouth, texted Skulduggery where she was, and gulped down her cup of tea. “Thank you so much Militsa. I–” she hesitated for only a moment “–I really appreciate you being so nice. Again. I know I said before but. You know. And I’m sorry for telling you about your friends’ deaths how I did.”

She managed a kind smile. “It’s okay Val. Go. Do what you do best and all that motivational stuff. And I’ll get my marking done like a good girl.”

Valkyrie nodded and got up, leaving the redhead at the table. At the front, she pulled out her wallet for Seamus. “How much is it?”

“Eleven euro,” he said, going over to the cash register.

She nodded and paid by card, thanked him and left right as Skulduggery pulled up in the Bentley outside.

“Get hungry?” He asked.

“Yeah. I saw Militsa outside. Remember her? She helped me with getting you back from Smoke’s control.”

“Ah, yes, I do. The Necromancer teacher. Of course. Because I–”

“Never forget anything, yeah,” she rolled her eyes. “She was friends with the victims. I have a lead.”


End file.
